John Lewis & Partners
John Lewis & Partners (formerly and commonly known as John Lewis) is a British brand of high-end department stores operating throughout the United Kingdom, with concessions also located in Ireland. The brand sells general merchandise as part of the John Lewis Partnership. It was created by Spedan Lewis, son of the founder, John Lewis, in 1929. From 1925 to 2022, the chain had a policy that it would always at least match a lower price offered by a national high street competitor; this pledge was known by the name "Never Knowingly Undersold".
The flagship John Lewis & Partners store on Oxford Street in London | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1864 |
| Founder | John Lewis |
| Headquarters | London, England |
Number of locations | 52 stores
35 department stores incl. Swindon Home Outlet (2018) 12 'John Lewis at home' stores |
Area served | United Kingdom |
Key people | Sharon White (Chairman) Nish Kankiwala (CEO) Naomi Simcock (Interim Executive Director, John Lewis) Bérangère Michel (Executive Director, Finance) |
| Revenue | £3.78 billion (2017) |
| £243.2 million (2017) | |
Number of employees | 38,100 (2017) |
| Parent | John Lewis Partnership |
| Website | www |
The first John Lewis store was opened in 1864 in Oxford Street, London, and there are now 35 stores throughout Great Britain. The first John Lewis concession in Ireland opened in a Dublin Arnotts store in October 2016. In the same year, the first Australian John Lewis concession also opened.
On 1 January 2008, the Oxford Street store was awarded a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II as "suppliers of haberdashery and household goods". John Lewis & Partners Reading is also the holder of a Royal Warrant from Elizabeth II in 2007 as suppliers of household and fancy goods.
The John Lewis Christmas television advert was first launched in 2007 and it has since become an annual tradition in British culture. It is considered as a sign that the countdown to Christmas has begun.